Monday 8th
December, 3.30pm, Grimond Room, Portcullis House
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a scrutiny session
on home-to-school transport at
3.30pm on Monday 8th
December 2025.
In 2023-24, local authorities in England spent £2.3bn
transporting around half a million children and young people to
schools, colleges and other education settings. This figure has
increased by around 70% since 2015-16, and cost £415m more than
budgeted for.
A recent report from the National Audit office (NAO) found that a
large and growing proportion of home to school transport spending
goes on transport for children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The cost of SEND
transportation has risen by 106% since 2015-16 and is projected
to reach £3bn by 2030.
Despite the rising costs and demands, the NAO found that
government does not have the data needed to fully understand who
is using the transport and the key drivers behind the increasing
costs.
In this session, MPs are likely to explore why costs for
providing this service are increasing, and what impact the
delayed SEND reforms may have. They may also examine how
departments and local authorities can work together to improve
the financial sustainability of home-to-school transport.
The Committee will first hear from charity and local government
representatives before taking evidence from the Department for
Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government.
Panel One - witnesses from
3.30pm:
· Anna Bird, Chief Executive
Officer, Contact
· Rose McArthur, Chair, Home
to School Transport Working Group, Association of Directors of
Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT)
· Councillor Amanda Hopgood,
Vice-Chair of the Children, Young People and Families Committee,
LGA
Panel Two – witnesses from approx. 4.30pm
· Susan Acland-Hood,
Permanent Secretary, DfE
· Juliet Chua CB, Director
General - Schools, DfE
· Nico Heslop, Director of
Local Government Finance, MHCLG
